“Daddy, what is that?”

I look out the passenger side window as my daughter and I cruise down I-75 on our way to a baseball game at decade-old Comerica Park. She’s pointing at a crumbling, dilapitaded building that looms just above the freeway wall, a reminder of the neglect that is so prevalent in our city.

“That’s Tiger Stadium, or what’s left of it,” I reply, switching my eyes back to the road. “That’s where your Dad and Papa used to watch the Detroit Tigers.”

“They used to play baseball in there?” There is, understandably, a noticeable tinge of bewilderment in my daughter’s voice as she watches the stadium drift into the distance.

“Yep. It was one of my favorite places to go. Whenever we got tickets to a game, I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep the night before.”

“That’s silly.”

“Maybe. But I was about your age when I started going, so the team and the stadium took on mythic proportions.”

“What are ‘mythic proportions’?”

“Uh, nevermind. Think about it this way: You know how you get really excited whenever you and I go to a baseball game? That’s how I used to act. My favorite part was walking up the ramp and seeing the field for the first time; how the bright blue and orange seats juxtaposed with the deep green of the grass. It never got old.”

“Dad – stop using big words.”

“Sorry, honey. I can’t help it. Where was I?”

“Juxtaposition.”

“Oh yeah. There are so many memories I carry with me about ‘The Corner’. The bleacher creatures. The close proximity to the field. The hot dogs. Oh, the hot dogs.”

“Were they better than Comerica Park’s hot dogs?”

“Ten times better. The vendors used to carry a steaming tin and lather your dog with mustard if that was your preference. The hot dogs at Comerica Park are crap.”

“Dad! You’re not allowed to say that word, remember?”

“I know, but that’s the best way to describe the difference.”

“So if this place was so great, why are they finally tearing it down?”

“It all comes down to money, and someday you’ll realize this. But, really, we just outgrew it. The seats were too tight, the facade was peeling, and there were many seats situated directly behind a pole. That’s not the best way to watch a baseball game, but that was its charm, I suppose.”

“What is your favorite memory of Tiger Stadium?”

“That’s easy – going to the last game with my Dad.”

“What was it like?”

“It was one of the best days of my life, right up there with the day you were born and the day I married your Mom.”

“I think Mom might not want to know that you rank a baseball game up there with your wedding day.”

“It wasn’t just a baseball game. It was a long goodbye to an old friend. Every Tiger wore an old-time Tigers’ number that day. Rob Fick, who wore Papa’s favorite player’s number — Norm Cash — hit a grand slam over the roof in right field. I don’t think I have ever heard a stadium get that loud. It was like an explosion.”

“That doesn’t sound like fun.”

“Ah, but it was. An old Tigers radio announcer named Ernie Harwell conducted the post-game ceremony while old and current Tigers lined the field. Then they took down the flag and transported it to the site of the new stadium. At the very end, they shut off the light towers one-by-one until only one was left shining. Consequently, that was the most quiet I had ever heard a stadium. Everyone in attendance stood and stared as Harwell ended his speech with, ‘Farewell, old girl. You will be missed.’ I know I wasn’t the only one who got emotional that night.”

“Dad, do you want a Kleenex?”

“No, I’m okay. Really.”

“Well, we’re here. Ready to go in?”

I step outside and glance back through the buildings of downtown Detroit and watch the wrecking ball take another chunk out of Tiger Stadium. Even though we’re here, I’m not sure Comerica Park will ever be here.

“Dad, I can hear your inner monologue. You’re turning into one of those old guys who won’t embrace change.”

“I am?”

“Yes, you are. And you need to get over it. I understand that you feel a special kinship with Tiger Stadium, but this is going to be my Tiger Stadium. Someday I’ll bring my kids here and tell them stories about when you and I used to go to games. You wouldn’t want to ruin that for me, would you?”

“No, I suppose you’re right.”

“I usually am. Now let’s go get one of those crappy hot dogs.”

Stadiums visited: 6

Miles traveled: 2,017

Milestones:

• Derek Jeter tying Lou Gehrig for most hits at Yankee Stadium.

Ballpark Rankings

1. PNC Park
The best of the best so far, this venue boasts a wide selection of food, a beautiful view, and the cleanest stadium of the bunch. It’s one of baseball’s crown jewels.
Score: 77

2. Rogers Centre
This has been the most surprising stop on the tour to date. None of us expected the score to net out so high, but it did, and you can’t argue with numbers. If you get a chance to see a game and experience the city of Toronto, do it.
Score: 75.5

3. Progressive Field
One of the old new stadiums, this one far surpassed our expectations and provided a great atmosphere for a baseball game.
Score: 74

4. Great American Ballpark
So what if they took the team’s nickname to the extreme with this red-hued stadium. It’s a cozy place to see a game. Come for the Reds, stay for the Pretzilla.
Score: 68.5

5. Yankee Stadium
If you want to be a part of baseball history, this is the place. But if you haven’t been, it’s too late now: it’s closed for good.
Score: 66

6. Shea Stadium
The worst of the bunch so far, the steep upper deck, rusty seats, and general blandness of the park didn’t do much to impress us.
Score: 40

Here are Jeff’s scores from our visit to Rogers Centre in Toronto:

Food & Beverage – 4.5
Italian Sausage and nachos were way above average, and tasted fresh. Good selection, better choices available.

Stadium Condition – 4.0
Clean, wide-open concourses. This stadium is not of the newest generation, but it’s in good shape, and there was a lot of thought put into the construction.

In-Game Experience – 3.5
Nothing special or unique, which is not a bad play (we’re here to watch baseball after all), but also not up to the standards of some of the other parks.

Proximity – 4.0
Some good bars/restaurants. Steak everywhere.

Overall – 4.0
I liked it.

Final score: 20/25

Here are Brad’s scores for our visit to Rogers Centre in Toronto:

Food and Beverage – 5.0
The Rogers Centre had the best selection of food I’ve ever encountered at a baseball game. While none of us tried the hot dogs, we all had the barbecued chicken nachos, which were simply the best ballpark fare we’ve eaten on the trip.

Stadium Condition – 2.5
An average score for an average stadium. The stadium has been around for 20 years, and it looks 20 years old. Nothing more. Nothing less.

In-Game Experience – 2.0
Not much going on here. Some of the in-game scoreboard stuff was interesting — like Lyle Overbay doing his best bobblehead imitation — but there really wasn’t anything to write home about, however, seeing a baseball game played indoors for the first time was special.

Proximity – 5.0
You know what they say – Toronto is the New York City of Canada. Okay, they don’t really say that, but with a multitude of attractions and destinations within walking distance, it did have that Big Apple feel.

Overall Experience – 4.0
Four out of five for our neighbors to the north. Even though the stadium itself is pretty average (albeit cavernous) the food surprised us, and I think we all knew going in that the nightlife would be top-notch. Who knows – if we were able to witness the roof opening, maybe it would’ve bumped up the score.

Final score: 18.5/25

Here is Steve V.’s scores from our visit to Rogers Centre:

Food and Beverage – 4.5
The barbeque chicken nachos were excellent. I also thought the steak at Jack Astors was quite good for the money. The only thing holding Toronto back from a 5 were the beer prices.

Stadium Condition – 4.0
Given it’s age, Rogers Centre was in excellent condition. The video screens were the best I’ve seen in a baseball stadium. Cup holders would be a nice update.

In-Game experience – 4.0
Nice in-game camera work. Announcer could be better.

Proximity – 3.5
I think that had we discovered all of the good things located near Rogers Centre we would have hung out there more.

Overall Experience – 4.0
Great time in a great city. If the prices had been slightly cheaper, Toronto would have scored near perfect scores.

Final score: 20/25

Here are Steve B.’s scores for our visit to Rogers Centre in Toronto:

Food and Beverage – 5.0
If it was possible to give a higher score I would. By far this was the best food that we have had at any stadium. There were plenty of options to chose from. You could get your basic ballpark hotdog or you could get a ceasar salad or pasta. We all had the barbeque chicken nachos though and they were incredible. The food alone at Skydome is worth a visit.

Stadium Condition – 3.5
There is nothing really wrong with the condition of Rogers Centre. It’s aboot 20 years old now I believe and although it is not the most inviting thing to look at from the inside with the dome closed, its in okay shape.

In-Game Experience – 1.5
If the Tigers were not playing, I would have been extremely bored. They said there was 15,000 fans there but it didnt seem like that many. It was a school day but they really didn’t do anything to get the kids into the game like other parks do. All in all it was pretty boring, but……….. I gave it a 1.5 instead of a zero because I have to give props to the Canadian fans that were actually there. The fans in right field started the wave on one attempt and it went around the whole ball park about seven times. With only 15,000 in attendance, that is good work.

Proximity – 4.0
There are some cool restaurants and bars right near the stadium and then there is the CN Tower which is monsterous [Editor's note: That's what she said]. It makes you dizzy to even look up at it. CBC Broadcasting is also right down the street.

Overall Experience – 3.0
Not bad, but not great either. I was actually impressed a little by this place, I thought I would hate it becuase it is a dome but the building is very impressive and the food was good too. They need to work on their in-game entertainment to bring people in when the hot ticket teams are not in town. Canada = hockey and they have their work cut out for them. I would like to come back to the Rogers Centre in mid-summer so I can see the stadium with the roof open; I bet it is a completely different atmosphere and it probably gives a great view of Toronto.

Final score: 17/25

Even though Juan Rincon ruined Rick Porcello’s major league debut on Thursday afternoon, we still had a blast at the Stadium Formerly Known as SkyDome.

Steve B. caught a foul ball, Jeff caught a bit of a stomach bug, Steve V. caught a whiff of legalized marijuana on the streets of Toronto, and I caught some bird crap on my shirt.

In short, everybody won.

Save for the two-hour+ traffic delay, and subsequent fear of running out of gas in the middle of a busy intersection, it was an enjoyable 24 hours.

We are currently tallying up the final scores and will report back in a few days. Be sure you don’t miss it. I think you’ll be surprised.

Toronto is a fun city. You just need to get to know her.

Our night spent exploring what the city had to offer, coupled with the Tigers first win of the season, was definitely worth our time.

Among our favorites was the Fox & Fiddle, which provided a rustic atmosphere to enjoy a Sleemans, as well as an illegal smoke on the patio, if that’s your thing.

Perhaps our most enjoyable part of the night was watching Steve and Paul work their magic on a couple of lasses at Fionn McCools. We hope their efforts were worth it in the end.

Anyway, we’re off to Rogers Centre to take in today’s game between the Blue Jays and Tigers. Check back later for our review.

Here’s to two in a row.

Whilst on the 401 to Toronto, Brad, The Steves, and i are debating the top 10 pitchers of this decade. It’s been quite a discussion thus far, as most of the “dominant” pitchers of the past few years have been mostly flashes in the pan (but does anybody really have as much upside as Jeremy Bonderman?).

After much discussion, and some fact-finding trips to baseball-reference.com, we’ve whittled the list down to the following 10 (in no particular order)…

Roy Halladay
Randy Johnson
Pedro Martinez
Curt Schilling (begrudgingly)
Greg Maddux
Roger Clemens (‘roids or not)
Tim Hudson (most wins this decade)
Roy Oswalt
Mike Mussina
Johan Santana

Post your thoughts in the Comments section

JB

Yes, even after tonight’s heartbreaking loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, we’re going to fight the good fight and make the trip to Toronto.

You know why?

Because this isn’t about baseball.

Well, okay, that’s not entirely true. It is about baseball. Part of it. But it’s just a small part.

The real reason is the stadiums. And the bonding. With a little baseball thrown in for good measure.

I promise, as the main contributor to this blog, that I will not allow the Tigers apparent sucktitude to interrupt my reporting to our three loyal readers. That would be unprofessional.

I’ll just give ol’ Jim Leyland an earful at the game, because that’s totally professional.